Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.
Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.
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Arlington Office Market Improving — Arlington County landing Amazon HQ2, a selection announced one year ago this month, has helped move its office market in the right direction after years of struggles. The office vacancy rate in National Landing, the newly branded area comprising the Crystal City and Pentagon City neighborhoods, dropped from 19.6% in Q3 2018 to 16% as of Sept. 30, the lowest level since 2012, according to JLL.” [Bisnow]
Chamber Supports Keeping Dillon Rule — “Facing a possible Democratic majority in the General Assembly, @ArlVAChamber is standing firm in its support of the Dillon Rule. Why? A Dem majority could allow localities like Arlington to raise the minimum wage.” [Twitter, InsideNova]
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Is your home starting to feel a little too cozy?
Summer is often the time when many Arlington homeowners start to notice their homes feeling cramped, whether you have school-aged kids still at home, your college student has moved back in for the summer, or you’re preparing to welcome aging parents for an extended stay.
While it’s too late to complete a major renovation this summer, it’s the perfect time to start planning so you can live more comfortably next year. Your Arlington lot may be small, and Arlington zoning ordinances are notoriously tricky to navigate, but your property likely has untapped potential. You can maximize your lot through a side or rear addition, popping the top, adding an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or outdoor living space, and/or finishing an underutilized basement.
With thoughtful planning, you can create the space your family needs while staying in the community you love, even on a small lot.
The Golden Rule to Remodeling: Start With a Master Plan
Before jumping into any addition or major renovation, it’s important to understand what your property can support and how your family’s needs may evolve over time.
One of the first steps is reviewing your plat (survey) to understand your buildable area, as one of the unique home-construction challenges in Arlington is that a majority of homes were built before current setback requirements were enacted, which impacts the scope of many construction projects. Setback requirements refer to the distance by which a home must be “set back” from the front, side, and rear property lines.
A word of caution: If your builder isn’t deeply familiar with Arlington’s setback rules and the available legal workarounds, your project can be derailed before it even starts.
As part of the strategic planning process, make sure you evaluate your long-term goals and create a master plan that accounts for all the spaces you intend to renovate. For example, renovating a basement without considering future plumbing, electrical, or HVAC needs can lead to unnecessary rework later.
And if you are undertaking a significant addition project, we generally recommend including a basement foundation, as it is not feasible to add one after initial construction is complete. Even if you choose to finish the basement later, it remains a more cost-effective way to add square footage than other areas of the house.
A thoughtful, whole-home approach helps create a smoother renovation process and a home that continues to meet your needs over time. Additionally, consider if you plan to live in your home late in your life – something we call aging in place. If so, knowing that is your long-term goal will influence your renovation project.
1. Expand Your Footprint With a Rear or Side Addition
For many Arlington homeowners, a rear or side addition is the most straightforward way to gain usable square footage, as long as their plat allows for it. By adding square footage to your home, you can make space for a larger kitchen and family room, add a mudroom as your dedicated “drop zone” for all your kids’ sports equipment, and even add a main-level guest suite. Rear and side additions can be single or multi-story, even if you don’t pop the top on the existing structure.
One key consideration for a home addition in Arlington County, however, is understanding how the Department of Environmental Services calculates whether you are over or under 2,500 square feet of disturbed area. If your project clears, digs up, or grades more than 2,500 square feet of land, per their definition, you’ll be required to pay for extra county permits, civil engineering plans, and potentially expensive drainage systems to handle rainwater runoff.
2. Build Up With a Pop-Top Addition
When your lot coverage is limited by setback requirements, the only way to go is up!
We recently transformed an outdated 1,300-square-foot rental property in Highview Park into a spacious, modern home for a young family. Adhering to zoning guidelines required preserving the existing foundation, so we took the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home down to its foundation, expanded it slightly on the left side, and built up! The result is an essentially brand-new four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath custom home that boasts 2,916 square feet across three floors.
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This regularly-scheduled sponsored column is written by the Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy team (AIRE). This county program helps you make smart energy decisions that save you money and leaves a lighter footprint on the environment.
Disclaimer: Your utility savings depends on what is or is not included in your rental agreement or HOA dues. Results may vary. Batteries not included. Ask your doctor before using. Past performance no indication of future success. Every action makes a difference.
Nathan’s Cancer Slayers, a local Arlington fundraising team under Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, invites the community to Cocktails for a Cause — An Amalfi Coast Evening on Sunday, June 14 in Georgetown. ✨🍸
This inaugural silent auction will bring together friends, neighbors, and supporters for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a fun silent auction — all raising funds for childhood cancer research in honor of Nathan Fleming, an Arlington student who passed away from rhabdomyosarcoma in 2019, just one week after turning 18.
A seasonably chilly — but sunny! — weekend is on tap after a busy week of Halloween, storms and winning the World Series (there’s a parade in D.C. tomorrow).
Aside from a possible freeze overnight, the weather should be pleasant and fall-like enough for some outdoor activities or ice skating during the day. Or you can check out some of the local events that are happening indoors.
Since 2005, Mamistad has helped 1000’s of first-time moms find their new mom tribes. Let’s connect you with yours! Join us for a quick FREE virtual call and you’ll be all set to join your group – sometimes even the same day!
When you’re expecting or just had your first baby, you can be blindsided by all the newness that comes with it. All those feelings you’re having are normal – it’s NOT JUST YOU! Pregnancy and new mom groups are a lifesaver when it comes to normalizing those feelings we just can’t be prepared for – mainly the changes YOU will go through as a mother.
The Gold’s Gym in Courthouse will be closing Dec. 1, according to a letter to members obtained by ARLnow.
The letter, sent today (Friday), says that the fitness chain made “several attempts to come to a lease renewal agreement with the landlord” but ultimately made the decision to close. Members will instead be transferred to the Gold’s Gym on N. Fillmore Street in Clarendon.
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Arlington County and surrounding areas are under a Freeze Warning starting at 2 a.m. Saturday morning.
Freezing temperatures, which could kill crops and some vegetation, are possible overnight in Arlington, D.C. and other parts of Northern Virginia and Maryland.
Despite a Tornado Watch and a forecast calling for severe weather, dozens of Arlingtonians descended on Ballston Quarter to trick-or-treat in the shopping center on Halloween.
ARLnow was there and some costumed characters posed for our cameras.
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For the second year in a row, Niche has ranked Arlington Public Schools (APS) as the best school division in Virginia.
The Niche rankings are based in part on standardized test scores in reading and math, averaging the test scores of all students. While Arlington can be proud of the quality of its schools, such rankings based on aggregate data hide the disparities in academic achievement among different student groups.
Just in time for the start of November and the arrival of cold weather, the ice rink at Pentagon Row is now open.
The outdoor rink in Pentagon City will be open daily through mid-March. In addition to skating for individuals and families, the rink also offers skating lessons, birthday parties and opportunities for group fundraisers.
The Arlington Home Energy Hub is a new resource provided by Arlington County to help residents make their homes more energy efficient, healthier and powered by clean energy. Arlington residents can now explore a new webpage with information and resources to learn about, plan for and implement home energy upgrades.
The Home Energy Coach is a new resource that provides free, virtual technical support to help Arlington residents make energy upgrades. Home Energy Coaches are available to help with any type of energy upgrade, such as installing new heating and cooling equipment, improving insulation and adopting solar energy. Homeowners can meet with a Home Energy Coach individually and renters can join a group coaching session. To get started, Arlington residents can submit an interest form online and a Coach will follow up with more information.